Woman plays dead after moose knocks her down twice, Colorado officials say

A woman was walking down the street in the dark and “walked right into” a moose, Colorado officials said.

The cow moose knocked the woman to the ground twice early Sunday morning near Winter Park, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said. After she was knocked down the second time, the woman played dead.

The moose then ran off, wildlife officials said. The woman hiked back on her own and went to a nearby medical center.

She had injuries on her back, leg and wrist from the moose.

“She was walking in good moose habitat without a light in the dark, so we suspect she walked right into the moose,” Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington said in a news release. “Trails next to water often make for a great hiking experience, but they’re also often near great moose habitat.”

It was the second moose attack near Winter Park, a town about an hour and a half from Denver, in the past week. On Wednesday, a moose charged a runner and left him with a hoofprint-shaped cut on the back of his head, Colorado officials said.

The New Mexico man was running on a trail with his two dogs when they encountered a bull moose. The dogs were off leash about 50 feet in front of the man during the run. They suddenly bolted back, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.

The man took two steps toward the moose to see it better, and that caused it to charge, officials said. The moose attacked the runner, giving him minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital and released the same day, wildlife officials said.

Moose attacks in Colorado are increasing, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They are protective animals and will defend their territory and young.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife knows of at least 15 moose conflicts since 2013 where people have been injured. Dogs were involved in almost all of those conflicts, wildlife officials said.

“When people, dogs and a defensive moose interact there is a significant risk of serious injuries to humans and pets,” wildlife officials said. “In addition, because CPW officers will act to protect the public in any wildlife conflict, it could lead to the death of a moose.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Woman plays dead after moose knocks her down twice, Colorado officials say."